By After a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the city of Long Beach celebrated Dia de Los Muertos on Saturday, Oct. 30 with a block party festival.
The dynamic sound of Mariachi trumpets shook the air at the sixth annual Dia de Los Muertos festival which took place on Pine Avenue between Fourth and Sixth Street. Colorful decorations and the smell of carne asada on hot grills set the festive atmosphere.
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Guests danced to live music performances from DJ Las Chicas Tristes and Mariachi Angelitas. On one corner of Pine Avenue, families gathered at an ofrenda dedicated to COVID-19 victims. Across from the ofrenda, large La Calavera Catrina statues made by local artist Maria Guadalupe Ramirez for Habitat For Humanity of Greater Los Angeles were on full display. Vendors sold goods underneath a rainbow of banners strung across buildings, while food trucks handed tacos and drinks to hungry guests.
The festival was hosted to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, a Mexican holiday that commemorates deceased loved ones. The holiday is a celebration of life with adults and children dressed up in costumes visiting vibrant colored ofrendas decorated with pictures of deceased family members, calaveras and candles to honor the dead. Large La Calavera Catrina statues and small handmade dolls are displayed as decoration.
Attendance at the festival was free with proof of vaccination or a negative test.
